Category Archives: 3-D

Grey skies and happy Santas

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Well didn’t I just push my luck?

No rain at my house today, but plenty of grey skies.  Other parts of Kihei weren’t as lucky as the front page of the Maui News reports, but by any account it’s not much of a beach day.  Just as well…I have lots of loose ends to pick up here.

I had good intentions of sharing this project with you last week, but perhaps you’re one of those “head start on next year” people and this is just the inspiration you need:

Kellie made these happy Santas and brought them over for me to put up.  They look really cute above the door into my kitchen, but if I took a photograph of them that included the door you wouldn’t be able to see their happy faces very well at all.  You WOULD see my dirty kitchen floor, however, and that is so not going to happen!

I know Kellie CASE-d these from someone online, and I know she checks my posts from time to time – so Kellie, will you please add a comment with the name of the creator of this project?  How’s that for lazy – I could just call her!  But Kellie’s oldest is home from college, and my middle daughter is home too, so all the happy mamas are keeping out of each other’s hair for now.  Later in January when all our young academics return to school we’ll get together with photos, stories and hankies and share our memories of good times.

Carpe diem.

Getting ready for some Jolly Holidays

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The Simply Amazing Recruiting Promotion that Stampin’ Up! offered for 2 weeks in November yielded a number of new Maui Stampers, and we got together over the weekend to go over a few demonstrator “nuts and bolts”.  I couldn’t let them leave without a little something, now, could I?

Jolly Holiday Notepads

Jolly Holiday Junior Legal Notepads

 

These are very simple to create, and you’ll make a bunch of these in a flash when you visit Melissa, the Stamp Doc and watch her tutorial.  I made a slight modification – I cut my paper to 8 1/2″ instead of 8″ to give me a smidgen more room.

Here’s just one to give you a better idea of how it looks:

Jolly Holiday Notepad

  • Tags for Christmas, Jolly Old St Nick and Play on Words stamp sets
  • Very Vanilla and Cherry Cobbler cardstock
  • Jolly Holiday Designer Series Paper
  • Cherry Cobbler and Old Olive Classic ink pads
  • Old Olive 5/8″ grosgrain ribbon; Linen Thread
  • Sticky Strip
  • Large Decorator Buttons in Deck the Halls
  • Ornament Punch (currently backordered due to manufacturing problems)
  • Scallop Trim Border punch

I stock up on the Pentel RSVP pens during back-to-school sales.  Maui isn’t very big, and things tend to sell out kind of quickly, so I’ve raised a few eyebrows when I hit the checkstand.  The DSP isn’t as sturdy as cardstock, but since this is a Christmas Season pattern it doesn’t have to hold up for more than a month or so.  The Sticky Strip is used to hold the pleats of the grosgrain down – once you’ve done it once or twice you can do it in your sleep.  Trust me on that; I’m a late night crafter and sometimes when I’m finishing up I really am working in my sleep.

Time to get going.  I need a few more of these – good thing they go together so quickly.

 

 

October, November and December

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And how the year has flown by!  These little pages will be a pleasure to enjoy every month.  Here are the last three Pretty Darn Cute calendar pages:

October 2011

Featured Stamp Set:  Wicked Cool

November 2011

Featured Stamp Set:  Vintage Vogue

December 2011

 

Featured Stamp Sets:  Northern Hearts (Level I Hostess) and All Holidays

July, August and September

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And the year flies by – here’s the third quarter of the Pretty Darn Cute calendar:

 

Featured Stamp Sets:   Circle Circus and Playful Pieces (Hostess Level III)

 

August 2011

Featured Stamp Set:  Travel Time (retired, I’m so sorry to say)

 

September 2011

Featured Stamp Set:  Fast and Fabulous (Level II Hostess)

April, May and June

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Here’s the second quarter of the Pretty Darn Cute calendar:

April 2011

Featured Stamp Set:  Cheep Talk


May 2011

Featured Stamp Set:  Flight of the Butterfly

 

June 2011

Featured Stamp Set:  Just Buzzin’ By

 


 

 

Pretty Darn Cute

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I detest shopping in crowds.  You can imagine how I feel about Black Friday.  I slept in and went for a long walk on the beach with my husband – it was a luxurious day.  In the afternoon I finished my preparations for my Easel Calendar class, and bright and early on Saturday morning a group of stampers made some Pretty Darn Cute little desktop calendars.  Here’s the first quarter of 2011:

January 2011

Featured Stamp Set:  Thoughts and Prayers

 

February 2011

Featured Stamp Set:  I {Heart} Hearts

March 2011

Featured Stamp Set:  Elements of Style

 

Yeah, I know….pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself.

Noel

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A friend did something really lovely for me the other day.  She kept saying it was no big deal, but it meant a lot to me and I wanted her to know it.  She’s traveling for the holidays and said they weren’t decorating much, so I thought I’d give her something she could put up before they leave:

I used the Scallop Square die to cut  chipboard covered with cardstock.  I’ve learned from previous experience that it’s much easier to attach the paper to the chipboard (in this case both front and back) BEFORE you run it through the Big Shot.  I cut Serif Essentials alphabet letters from Jolly Holiday Designer Series paper and embellished each square with a letter and whatever whimsical idea came to mind.  The letters are attached to Striped Grosgrain ribbon with heaps of Sticky Strip – what Sticky Strip has joined, let no man tear asunder!!

A little closer – the top:

 

and the bottom:

Joy in a milk carton

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It’s that time of year when you need cute little gifty things.  I had a stack of milk carton cut outs on my desk top that were begging to be used:

  • Delightful Decorations stamp set
  • Real Red and Whisper White card stock; Jolly Holiday Designer Series paper
  • Real Red Classic ink pad; Whisper White Craft ink pad
  • Ornament punch and Jewels Pearls
  • 1/2 inch Library Clip (Clearance Rack had the Old Olive ones; Silver clips are current)
  • Whisper White 3/8 inch taffeta ribbon
  • Sticky Strip and Stampin’ Dimensionals
  • Big Shot and Milk Carton XL Bigz die

When the Milk Carton die first came out I found it challenging to assemble.  I think that’s why this stack sat on my desk for a while, but the other day when I decided to put them together I found them really simple.  I’m not sure what the hang up was, but the message is clear:  If at first you don’t succeed, try again later!  And this time use Sticky Strip.

These little bundles of joy are filled with Hershey Nuggets, but your favorite candy or other small treat would work equally well.

Good morning, Captain

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Have you been wondering what the Captain has been up to?

Captain Stupidhead loves my Birkenstocks.  I don’t know if he likes the leather and suede or if it’s my stinky feet, but he does like to sleep with his head on my Birks when I’m reading the newspaper in the morning.   He’s very social in the morning and likes to hang out with me while I drink my coffee.  Our kitchen is sunny and he happily stretches out on the floor.

Of course, if I’m trying to accomplish something in the morning – say, pack my son’s lunch – then he’ll carefully position himself in the one spot he knows will create the most disruption to my pre-coffee stumbling.  If that doesn’t work, he’ll wait til I’m standing at the counter and then sit directly behind me, letting out an indignant howl if I step backward and onto his precious tail.

Enough of the Captain – how about an autumn candle?

Candle with cork and paper leaves

Robbie brought over a few sheets of Stampin’ Up! cork and we brainstormed ideas for using it in different ways.  I’m not sure who was inspired to turn it into leaves, but we loved the results.  Crystal had the idea of sponging a little color onto the cork and the rest, as they say, is history.

Anne and Crystal’s Annual Bag and Tag Extravaganza

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Yesterday was Anne and Crystal’s Annual Bag and Tag Extravaganza (ACABTE).  We enjoy these events so much – but I always forget to take photos.  Crystal’s son Isaac was the star of the event and we all enjoyed watching and playing with him, but I didn’t take even one picture!  My bad.

A couple of people had last minute conflicts and weren’t able to attend, and I promised I would get project photos up right away.  They’ll get packets with all the pieces to put the bags together but having a photo as your guide is a big help.

Tree Trimmings gift bag

This bag uses stamps from Tree Trimmings, Delightful Decorations, and Many Merry Messages.  The ornament on the panel is 3 stamped ornaments punched with the ornament punch.  Each one is scored down the center and then adhered back to back to make a 3-D ornament.  These are also fun to do as 360 degree ornaments – I use six punched shapes to make a paper ornament.  I thought I’d posted some of these a while back, but I can’t seem to find them – I’ll have to take some photos to show you what they look like.

Peaceful Season bag

This bag uses the Peaceful Season Level II Hostess set and the Tags for Christmas set that is currently offered at a 20% discount when purchsed with the XL Decorative Label punch.  I think Always Artichoke and Cherry Cobbler were designed with brown paper bags in mind!

If you’ve never made one of these punched paper flowers, don’t be intimidated – they look fabulous but they’re easy as can be.  You can use a scallop circle, a plain circle or any of the flower punches to create the flower, and each shape yields a slightly different result.  Punch 6 to 8 circles, stack them and pierce the center with a pokey doodle (piercing tool!) and piercing mat.  Secure a brad through the stack and use a mist bottle to dampen the circle on the top.  Use your fingers to “smoosh” that first circle up into a standing clump;  I advised a woman at ACABTE yesterday to imagine it was her boss’s head and my goodness did she do a fine job of smooshing!!!  Once  you’ve gotten the first circle smooshed, continuing dampening and smooshing the rest of the layers one at a time.  When you’re done, lightly press the top of the flower to open it back out and just let it dry in place.  Here’s a flower close-up:

As you can see, I was liberal with the Champagne Mist Shimmer paint spritz (a few drops in 70% isopropyl alcohol in a mist bottle).  It’s Christmas time – you’ve got to have some sparkle!!